Darden Restaurants stock fell 3.60 percent after Q1 miss

Published on 09/28/2026 at 13:53 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Darden Restaurants stock traded at USD 199.78 on September 25, 2026, after fiscal Q1 sales rose 5.10 percent to USD 3.20 billion. Morgan Stanley raised its target to USD 255.00.

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Darden Restaurants stock (ISIN US2371941053) was last at USD 199.78 on the NYSE on September 25, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. ET, down 3.60 percent from the prior session. The move followed fiscal first-quarter results that showed sales growth but a small revenue shortfall against consensus.

Fiscal Q1 sales rose 5.10 percent

According to Darden Restaurants on September 24, 2026, fiscal Q1 2027 sales reached USD 3.20 billion for the quarter ended August 30, 2026, up 5.10 percent from the prior year. Comparable-calendar same-restaurant sales increased 3.20 percent, while reported diluted EPS from continuing operations rose 4.10 percent to USD 2.05 from adjusted EPS of USD 1.97 in the year-ago quarter.

The sales result came in below the USD 3.21 billion consensus estimate, while adjusted EPS matched the USD 2.05 forecast, according to Investing.com on September 24, 2026. That mix makes traffic and comparable sales more important than the headline EPS result for the next quarter.

Guidance stayed at USD 11.10 to 11.35

Darden Restaurants reaffirmed fiscal 2027 adjusted diluted EPS guidance of USD 11.10 to USD 11.35 on September 24, 2026. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of USD 1.62 per share, payable November 2, 2026, to shareholders of record on October 9, 2026.

Morgan Stanley lifted its target

On September 14, 2026, Morgan Stanley raised its Darden price target from USD 236.00 to USD 255.00 and retained an Overweight rating, as reported by MarketScreener. The new target sits 27.64 percent above the September 25 price, leaving the analyst view more constructive than the immediate post-results trading response.

Darden stock stays below its yearly high

Darden stock was last at USD 199.78 on the NYSE on September 25, 2026, with a 52-week range of USD 169.00 to USD 229.76. The price stood 13.05 percent below the yearly high, while market capitalization was USD 22.9 billion and volume reached 1,902,369 shares.